Mary Mcleod Bethune
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Mary Mcleod Bethune: Activist, Advocator, Educator, Political Figure
Maria Johnson
School of Education, Liberty University
Author Note
Maria Johnson
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Claudia S. Sample
Email: mjohnson763@liberty.edu
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Abstract
Mary Mcleod Bethune was known as an activist, political figure, educator, and advocator. She
believed in the rights of black women and would later further the rights of all women. She used
her wit and abilities to be involved in organizations such as the National Association for the
Advancement of Color People and eventually founder her own organization the National
Congress for Negro Women. Through this foundation and others, she was able to communicate
with prominent leaders of the society and establish a need for the evolution of women. She
worked to change the state of the race and gender relations in the United States. Mary Mcleod
Bethune used her relationships with prominent members of society to effect change by attending
a United Nations meeting and emphasizing the importance of human equality for all. The goal of
this analysis is to identify the impact Mary Mcleod Bethune had on the society in relation to
gender and racial equality.
Keywords: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, United Nations,
Mary Mcleod Bethune: Activist, Advocator, Educator, Political Figure
Mary Mcleod Bethune
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Mary Mcleod Bethune was a woman of exceptional character and prestige. She was
highly motivated and determined to create a world for the betterment of women. Mary Mcleod
Bethune was an educator, advocator, activist, and political figure. To ensure that women of color
had equal rights, she used her connections to the president to create international relationships
and develop organizations for the benefit of women.
Background and Cultural Context
Mary Mcleod Bethune was born on July 10, 1875 to freed slave parents in South Carolina
(Johnson-Miller, 2006). She was born as the 15th out of 17 children. When slavery ended the
Mcleod family brought over 30 acres of land and used the land to help families and young
women who were mothers in refuge. The Mcleod family was also well known for serving as
advocates for the local justice system. At the age of 10, Mary was able to go to school and felt it
was her destiny to help her parents move past poverty. This opportunity made her belief in God
grow stronger and felt she had found a purpose in life. As she began to learn, she started to use
the skills gained to protect the people she loved from market exploitation. Mary attended college
at Scotia Seminary, an institute in North Carolina. While attending Scotia Seminary, she led the
debate team, made public speeches, and began to understand the importance of equality of all
humans. Mary Mcleod also taught at a number of small schools throughout the south.
Philosophy of Education
Mary Mcleod Bethune believed that everyone should have the right to an education. She
was an advocate for gender and racial equality. It was evident that she cared about the education
of the youth, when she spent her savings of $1.50 to start a school for girls (Hanson, 2003). She
gained her philosophy of social and academic conduct from Scotia Seminary (McClusky, 1989).
She believed that teachers should be involved in the moral and intellectual development of all
Mary Mcleod Bethune
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students, while incorporating practical skills. Bethune believed that individuals should be able to
receive academic curriculum while also learning life skills that would be beneficial to students
outside of school.
She believed the work of the minds controlled the work of the hands and the heart and
together they fulfilled the functions of education (McClusky, 1989). The motto for her schools
became “heart, hand, and head” (McClusky, 1989). She wanted her students to use their heads to
think, their hands to work, and their hearts to have faith (McClusky, 1989).
Theory to Practice
Mary Mcleod Bethune once stated "I saw the vision of what our women might contribute
to the growth and development of the race if they were given a certain type of intellectual
training. I longed to see women, Negro women hold in their hands, diplomas that bespoke
achievement” (McCluskey, 1989). Mary’s belief was that educated black women could be a key
factor in the freedom of black people.
The belief that women should be educated as well as men inspired Mary to develop a
school. The Daytona Educational Institute for negro women was found in 1904, by Bethune,
(Leffall & Sims, 1976). The school’s curriculum was based on a liberal arts program. She based
her school on the same principles she experienced while attending Scotia Seminary. She offered
academic programs, and practical life skills. Bethune eventually merged her school with
Cookman Institute (an all-male school), and the new school was called Bethune-Cookman
College.
After merging her school, Bethune went on to join and launch organizations for the
advancement of black women. One of the foundations she began was the National Congress for
Negro Women (NCNW) which articulated the actions of black women in a federation of national
Mary Mcleod Bethune
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organizations (Ramdani, 2015). This organization prepared the world for international expansion
of people who suffered from injustices.
Although NCNW was founded by Bethune, she was involved in many other
organizations which includes: National Association of Colored Women (NACW), National
Association of Teachers of Colored Schools, National Council of Women of America, National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) among others. In the
aforementioned organizations she served as a president or a prominent leader. Her involvement
in the organizations, allowed her to speak to large crowds and promote the well being of black
women.
Perspectives on Diversity
Mary Mcleod Bethune’s life mission was to ensure gender and racial equality. Although
she focused on the rights of black women, she eventually became an advocate for all women’s
rights. As activist, Bethune was committed to awaken the consciousness of white people and
inspire black men and women to fight for all injustices (Gaines, 2016).
Bethune focused on making connections with prominent members of the society, to
guarantee the progression of gender and racial equality. Bethune became friends with Eleanor
Roosevelt, the wife of President Roosevelt, which gave her opportunities to interact with
government leaders. This relationship afforded her the opportunity to participate in the founding
of the United Nations (UN) conference. At the UN conference she stated “ America itself must
do a great deal of housecleaning in its treatment of the Negro here within its own borders before
democratic ideals of human rights can be adequately protected from our viewpoint into this
world program of freedom and brotherhood” (Ramdani, 2015). She wanted others to understand
that black women/people could be international ambassadors for human justice. The United
Mary Mcleod Bethune
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Nations conference allowed her to connect with international leaders to promote equal rights for
all.
Critical Analysis
Mary Mcleod Bethune had ideas that were not accepted by all people because of the
ideologies of the world during those times. She found allies in people such as President Calvin
Coolidge. President, Franklin Roosevelt, President Hoover, and other elite government officials.
Her political associates gave other reasons to go against her stance of gender and racial equality.
There were adversaries who believed she was an “uncle tom”. From a political stance, members
of the democratic party were against Bethune’s views. The democratic party represented white
supremacy in the south.
Advocating for racial and gender rights during the Jim crow era, was automatically met
with opposition. Most of Bethune’s life work was completed during a time of extreme
segregation. Bethune is most criticized for trying to push women equality rights in a “man’s
world”. Leaders did not believe that women should have equal rights or an education. They
believed women were homemakers. Promoting women’s rights and education created problems
for men to be the leader of the household. Women were able to get jobs and education, which led
men to feel depleted.
Implications and Conclusions
In the world of education, women are now the leaders. There are more women educators
than there are men. Bethune’s diligent hard work for racial and gender rights can be seen as a
success due to the success of women educators. Bethune’s philosophy of heart, hand, and head
resonates because it is teaching to the whole student. Her philosophy also promotes the idea of
real-world connections. She wanted students to be able to use the skills learned in school, in their
Mary Mcleod Bethune
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home life. As a black educator, Bethune paved the way to afford the opportunities that exist now.
Bethune had an unconventional way of thinking and understood the need for progress. Her
ideologies, and theories represent a dynamic world, and promotes peace for everyone. She
believed knowledge was a tool and opened the doors between people (Ramdani, 2015). As an
advocate, activist, educator and political figure, Mary Mcleod Bethune initiated an idea of
equality among all, and work hard to implement a plan that would be successful in promoting
fairness for all.
References
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Gaines, R. (2016). Rhetoric and a body impolitic: Self-definition and mary mcleod bethune's
discursive safe space. Howard Journal of Communications: Special Section: Stuart
Hall, 27(2), 167-181. doi:10.1080/10646175.2016.1148647
Hanson, J. A. (2003, Mar). Mary McLeod Bethune: Race woman. The New Crisis, 110, 34-37.
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Johnson-Miller, B. C. (2006). Mary McLeod Bethune: Black Educational Ministry Leader of the
Early 20th Century. Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational
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Leffall, D. C., & Sims, J. L. (1976). Mary McLeod Bethune-The Educator; Also Including a
Selected Annotated Bibliography. The Journal of Negro Education, 45(3), 342.
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